The Killeen Chair of Theology and Philosophy Lecture Series will present "'Down in Adoration Falling': Music, the Sacred and Worship" featuring Fr. Jan Michael Joncas, Associate Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, on Thursday, March 24, at 7 p.m. at the Fort Howard Theater, located in the Bemis International Center on the St. Norbert College campus. The event is free and open to the public.

A renowned composer, prolific writer, and popular lecturer, Fr. Jan Michael Joncas is also one of the most highly respected liturgical theologians in the Roman Catholic Church today. A priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Fr. Joncas earned his M.A. in Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame in 1978 and his S.L.L. and S.L.D. degrees from the Pontifical Institute of the Liturgy in Rome in 1989 and 1991. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, but has also taught at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Santa Clara University, Notre Dame, and the Angelicum University in Rome.

Fr. Joncas' publications include Preaching the Rites of Christian Initiation (1994); The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Liturgy and Sacraments (1995); and From Sacred Song to Ritual Music (1997). His articles and reviews have appeared in a variety of distinguished journals such as Worship, Pro Ecclesia, Ephemerides Liturgicae and Catholic International. But Fr. Joncas is likely best known for his many acclaimed liturgical compositions, which include On Eagles' Wings; We Come to Your Feast; In the Sight of the Angels; and A Voice Cries Out, which won the Outstanding Achievement Award in Liturgical Music from Oregon Catholic Press in 2003. His other awards include the Distinguished Educator Award from the University of St. Thomas, the Michel Mathis Award from the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy and, in 2007, an award from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.

The Killeen Chair of Theology and Philosophy was established in 1984 to bring figures in the fields of theology and philosophy to the St. Norbert College campus. The Killeen Chair draws attention to the importance of theology and philosophy in a Catholic liberal arts education and highlights the commitment of St. Norbert College to provide an education that is personally, intellectually and spiritually challenging. The Killeen Chair is an appropriate way of honoring Abbot Killeen's many contributions to St. Norbert College, the Norbertine Order and the wider community.

For more information, visit www.snc.edu/killeen, or call (920) 403-3919.